Investigation of role of antisite disorder in the pristine cage compound FeGa₃

The role of controlled disorder in the strong correlated narrow gap semiconductor candidate FeGa$_3$ has been investigated. Polycrystalline samples were synthesized by the combination of arc-melting furnace and successive annealing processes. Deviations of the occupation number of Fe and Ga sites from those expected in the pristine compound were quantified with X-ray analysis. Besides that, electrical transport and magnetization measurements reveal that hierarchy in Fe and Ga site disorder tunes the ground state of FeGa$_3$ from paramagnetic semiconducting to a magnetic metal. These findings are discussed within the framework of Anderson metal-insulator transitions and spin fluctuations.